Kings Of Leon / Jet / The 22-20s - New York Bowery Ballroom - 10/9/03
3/5
By: Joshua K
Outside of the recent Darkness gig, which sent industry-types scrambling for entry in their Whitesnake T-shirts, tonight's show at 800-capacity Bowery Ballroom is New York City's hottest recent ticket. And why not? The underground has been chattering about UK blues upstarts 22-20s, local rock radio has Aussies Jet in heavy rotation, and the hipster collective are curious to finally discover firsthand whether Kings of Leon = Southern Strokes, or Hairy Fakers.
Welcome to the Big City, boys. Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough...
First up are 22-20s, and for once the hype-mill has it right: this young gang are the real deal. Expanded to a four-piece with a keyboardist/second guitarist, they rock the blues hard for 25-minutes, like The White Stripes meets Steppenwolf. Debut UK single 'Such A Fool' is the clear standout, followed closely by scorcher 'Devil In Me' (off the forthcoming '05/03' EP) and an untitled new song that comes across as heavy Eagles, a.k.a. cool '70s rock replete with harmonies. Band of the night, without a doubt.
Jet follow, turning in a ragged but ultimately rewarding set that draws almost entirely from debut LP 'Get Born'. Following a melodic run through now-traditional opener 'Move On', drummer Chris Cester cedes vocal duties to his brother Nic. Unfortunately, it takes the band a bit of time to get in synch after this changeover, down to a missed soundcheck and disagreements with the soundman (whom Chris spends the night flipping off and gobbing at).
Once Jet hit their stride, however, we're rewarded with raw, up-tempo rockouts including 'Get Me Outta Here' - their 'Highway to Hell' - 'Cold Hard Bitch', 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl' and an extended cover of Elvis Presley's 'It's Alright Mama'. And in Chris we find the star of the night... a percussive superhero genetically engineered from John Bonham and a ruffled, ailment -ridden street-dog.
Finally it's time for the headliners and Kings of Leon are, well... Exactly like the album. So the live-set offers a handful of sparkling moments intermixed with extended flat stretches that serve to reveal how special bands like The Strokes really are. Put another way: rockfeedback described the Kings' debut London show as holding 'an inhibition to their groove... humbly rumbl[ing] when they should rock.' Eight months later, and tragically, the same holds true.
But let's provide credit where deserved. 'Red Morning Light' offers an appropriate swagger as the opener, 'Holy Roller Novocaine' is deliciously deathlike, and set-closer 'California Waiting' remains the Followhills' best and most sweetly melodic song. Plus, 'Happy Alone' shows where the Southern Strokes comparisons must've originated, alternating between deep-fried boogie and cool, 'Is This It'-like tones. And, sure, these songs certainly qualify as acceptable signs of future potential - but they're just not enough to save this gig from ending in patchiness.
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